Marlborough Sports Garden

For hires and coached sports activities at the Marlborough Sports Garden - see below. For holiday sports activities click here and scroll down.

Marlborough Sports Garden is a fantastic public open space a few minutes walk from London Bridge.

The history of the Marlborough Sports Garden owes its existence to Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, Duchess of Marlborough, who decreed that “Surplus land from an insanitary area between Borough High Street and Red Cross Street should be used as a recreation ground”. The park was opened in 1921.  

Nearly 100 years later this open space remains a valuable asset for Bankside and we aim to keep it that way.

11 - 25 Union St, London SE1 1SD

Marlborough Sports Garden in 2022/23

Click here to read about our work at Marlborough Sports Garden in 2022/23 when we ran 2 full terms of free sports coaching in 10 different sports!

A place for everyone

The Sports Garden is used by the local community who value it for the role it plays in promoting the health and wellbeing of residents and as a rare outdoor space providing much-needed access to physical activity, sport, and leisure pursuits.

Open from dawn until 9pm, Marlborough is free to enter and available for everyone to use - however pitches are bookable and therefore might be unavailable at certain times (see below), and we also prioritise school children’s access Monday-Friday from 3-5.30pm during in term times and so the park is closed to other adults at this time. The park has a football pitch, basketball facilities, table tennis tables, netball court, and seating areas. See left for more info about hiring the pitches or the park.

Afterschool sports

We host regular free, fun and active afterschool sports activities on site offering children and young people up to three coached sports sessions every Tue-Thur in the spring and autumn terms. From rollerskating to beach tennis, touch rugby to girls’ football - there’s something for everyone! See our News and Events page or keep an eye on our social media for up to date information.

We’ve recently launched an award to celebrate participants taking part in our afterschool sports programme – the Mike Barnato Award, in memory of our dear trustee Mike who sadly died in 2022. For more information about the award, and Mike who inspired it, click here.

Marlborough Sports Garden redevelopment

Bankside Open Spaces Trust have plans to harness the potential of this unique community sports facility through an ambitious re-development capital project.

With architects Cullinan Studio, we’ve created a vision to transform Marlborough Sports Garden. This £3 million+ project includes upgraded outdoor spaces, proper indoor toilets and changing facilities, a welcoming café offering healthy options and cooking workshops, and indoor studios to allow us to host community groups and classes year-round. Recently these design proposals picked up two architecture awards — winning the Future Place category at The Pineapples, which celebrate public spaces, and the Community Prize at the New London Architecture Awards.

Our plans have been to created to help us offer more opportunities for physical activity in our community, a particular focus for our work on site will be around engaging hard to reach groups and those who find it difficult to access sport.

Corporate partnerships

We are seeking corporate partners to support fundraising for Marlborough Sports Garden’s redevelopment. Your support is vital to improving lives within the local community. Find out more here.

Pitch bookings - sporting events and activities

Book our football, netball or sand court for a game with family, friends or colleagues - simply use our Playfinder booking calendar by clicking here:

www.bost.org.uk/msg-playfinder

Please note: Hires between 12-2pm or after 5.30pm on weekdays are managed by Hire A Pitch and you should book through here: https://hireapitch.com/Marlborough-Sports-Garden-London-Bridge or call 020 3589 4612.

Hiring Marlborough for events (non sports bookings)

You can hire the garden for events of all kinds - for non-sporting activities please fill in the form below to make a request. Please note: a minimum of 5 weeks’ notice is usually needed to secure the site for an event.

Hiring the volleyball court?

Here’s a short video to help you set up the court, created by Deuce Beach Tennis - thank you!

*** UPDATE ***

In the video Chris is using anchors on both sides of the court to attach the carabines. Currently anchors on the further side of the court are replaced by hooks that are attached to wooden panels. If you cannot find them, please look for markings on the panel- black arrows that indicate where the hooks are installed. Carefully dig in the sand to find them.